On a trip to Coimbatore, a friend took me to a farm whose owners bred pigs with affection and care. The love reflected in the quality of the meat. It was well-marbled, and when cooked, delicious and tender. Pairing such quality of meat with vaal beans seemed to me a perfect idea. The candied tomatoes – rich, chewy and sweet – add so much texture. The vaal beans bring in the local element – they are luscious white and produce a creamy texture. And finally, the crispy sage just elevates the dish.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    01 h 00 m

    Plus 12 hours for white beans

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces pork chops of 200 gm each
  • 300 gm Rangoon vaal beans
  • 120 gm sundried tomatoes
  • 50 gm Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 30 gm rosemary, chopped
  • 30 gm thyme, chopped
  • 30 gm sage
  • 20 gm salt
  • 20 gm shallots, chopped
  • 15 gm butter
  • 15 gm parsley
  • 15 gm black pepper
  • 10 gm garlic, chopped
  • 400 ml vegetable stock
  • 200 ml olive oil
For cider glaze
  • 1 l apple juice
  • 500 ml cider vinegar

Preparation

  1. Soak the dry Rangoon vaal beans in water for 12 hours. Next boil them in water with salt till they are tender but not overcooked. Cool and reserve for the dish.
  2. Marinate the pork chops with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and black pepper. Grill it on a griddle or cook it in a pan for roughly 8 mins on each side on moderate heat. Let it rest for another 5 mins before reheating and serving.
  3. In a sauté pan, melt butter and add in the shallots and garlic. Sauté till they are cooked and translucent in colour. Add the cooked beans and the vegetable stock. Reduce the stock till it becomes a thick sauce. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley.
  4. For cider-glazed tomatoes, simmer the apple juice and the vinegar together till they are reduced to a syrup. Toss in the sundried tomatoes with the apple cider glaze and serve with the beans and pork chops.
Written by

Rahul Akerkar

Rahul Akerkar is the chef-founder of Qualia, Mumbai, and he is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for June. He started his culinary journey 35 years ago in the US, returning to India in 1989. Since then, he has been busy changing the way we eat. Known for setting industry trends with his creative, ingredient-driven cuisine, and warm attentive hospitality, Rahul’s award-winning restaurants secured his position as one of India’s first successful, chef-restaurateurs. In his career, he has won many accolades – he was featured in Asiaweek’s Survey of “Kitchen Gods” in 2001 and was 28 on San Pellegrino’s List of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013. More recently, he won Chef of The Year at the Times Food Awards 2016, Mumbai. He has been guest chef in several kitchens around the world, authored numerous articles, and frequently consults to the food and hospitality industry.

See more by Rahul Akerkar